MILAN – The quarterfinal round of the men’s ice hockey tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics commenced today, , at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, setting the stage for a dramatic push towards the medal rounds. Four matches are scheduled, pitting some of the world’s top hockey nations against each other in a battle for semifinal berths.
Canada vs Czechia
The day’s action began with Canada facing Czechia. Canada, having dominated the preliminary round with a +17 goal differential, entered the match as the clear favorite. Led by the exceptional playmaking of Connor McDavid, who amassed nine points in three games, and the steady leadership of captain Sidney Crosby, the Canadians demonstrated their championship form. Crosby emphasized the need for continued improvement, stating, “We understand the circumstances, and what we need to do, and obviously what got us to this point, as far as our identity and things like that. We’ve got to keep getting better. Stakes are a little higher now.”
Czechia, however, was determined to challenge Canada’s dominance. After a hard-fought qualification game against Denmark, they aimed to disrupt Canada’s rhythm. David Pastrnak expressed the team’s intent to play with increased confidence and aggression, saying, “Maybe let’s put the respect aside a little bit and try to take their game to them. Offensively, their power is incredible. Just have to be a little stronger on pucks, play more in the O-zone and be more confident. We have nothing to lose. So we’re going to go out there and leave it all out there. As a team we haven’t played our best yet, so hopefully we will save it for tomorrow.”
USA vs Sweden
Later in the day, the United States took on Sweden. The Americans, boasting the tournament’s deepest roster, were expected to leverage their overall depth and strong goaltending against a Swedish team that has yet to fully find its stride. Sweden struggled with consistency throughout the preliminary round, exhibiting slow starts and indifferent performances, even against Nordic rivals Finland and host nation Italy. Their qualification game against Latvia, while a win, revealed vulnerabilities in their game.
Sweden coach Sam Hallam acknowledged the challenge posed by the Americans, stating, “We’ve taken a step. I think this game gives us even some more learning about each other and some more chemistry. Maybe tomorrow is the first time we go in a bit as an underdog in a game. Our goal when we come into this Olympics is to go all the way, and we were prepared to play some really good teams on the way, so it’s interesting to play the U.S. In the quarterfinals.”
Slovakia vs Germany
The evening session featured a matchup between Slovakia and Germany. Germany, despite not appearing to be at their peak, secured a victory against France in the qualification round, seemingly bolstering their confidence. Moritz Seider highlighted the team’s solid effort, noting, “Solid, solid effort over 60 minutes. I thought we played really well. Another great start. Honestly, it kind of becomes a strength of ours along the tournament. If you look over 60 minutes, yeah, there were some dips, but I think very, very solid effort and a really good result. I think sometimes we got to be a little faster and we did that in the third. We moved the puck up a little bit more, weren’t afraid of running the puck and getting it back on the forecheck. Those are little things we got to continue.”
Slovakia, spearheaded by Juraj Slafkovsky, presented a formidable challenge. However, Germany’s roster, featuring players like Moritz Seider, Leon Draisaitl, and Tim Stützle, was expected to provide a strong counterpoint. Seider expressed optimism, saying, “Couldn’t ask for a better opponent. I think we’re both expecting a great game and hopefully we can provide that. It’s right there for the taking for both teams. One team will end up short and hopefully it’s not us.”
Finland vs Switzerland
The final quarterfinal of the day pitted Finland against Switzerland. Finland rebounded from an opening-game loss to Slovakia with dominant performances against Sweden and Italy, showcasing their offensive capabilities. Switzerland, meanwhile, secured wins against France and Czechia (in overtime) and defeated Italy in qualification play. Both teams possess significant talent, but Finland’s goaltending was considered a key advantage.
Tournament Structure and Viewing Information
The 12 teams participating in the tournament were initially divided into three groups: Group A (Canada, Switzerland, Czechia, France), Group B (Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, Italy), and Group C (USA, Germany, Latvia, Denmark). Teams earned points based on regulation wins (3 points), overtime wins (2 points), overtime/shootout losses (1 point), and regulation losses (0 points). The top four teams – the group winners and the best second-place team – received a bye to the quarterfinals. Teams seeded 5-12 competed in a qualification round to determine the remaining quarterfinalists.
The semifinals are scheduled for , with the bronze medal game on and the gold medal game concluding the tournament on .
All games are being streamed live on Peacock.
